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Credit: Inside the MagicLike any Disney Park, the Walt Disney World Resort is home to dozens of iconic rides and attractions. However, not all are as immortal as Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or Pirates of the Caribbean. Some have simply been lost to time.
As attractions grew with the introduction of new techniques and technology, Disney incorporated several celebrity cameos into some of their newer features, and many even became icons. The visage of Patrick Warburton as the flight attendant on EPCOT’s Soarin’ surely comes to mind, but one attraction featured ground-breaking technology and starred the late great Robin Williams.
Recalling Robin Williams as The Timekeeper
Robin Williams had several iconic roles under his belt before working with Disney. Williams was already a household name before his landmark role as the Genie in Aladdin, with starring roles in Mork and Mindy, Good Morning Vietnam, Hook, and Dead Poets Society.
Related: Internet Explodes With Robin Williams Tributes Seven Years After Tragic Death
While the Genie was certainly Williams’ most iconic contribution to Disney, he was never one to be a one-trick pony. In 1994, Tomorrowland hosted a journey through time with the actor in the lead role as the eccentric animatronic Timekeeper.
Accompanied by his robotic assistant, 9_Eye, the Timekeeper took Disney World guests on a journey through time using Disney’s magnificent Circle-Vision-360. While the attraction closed in 2006, no media stays lost forever.
@everythingdisney133 Can you guess what this ride is? ✨ #disney #retro #vintage #disneyworld #90s #disneytiktok #magickingdom
As shown by @everythingdisney133’s post above, the animatronics were incredible, but Robin Williams’ performance was obviously the primary draw to the attraction. Along with modeling the robotic Timekeeper after the actor, Disney truly allowed Williams to let his manic stylings shine through.
Tomorrowland has been without its resident robots for nearly 17 years, but how great would it be if Disney were to immortalize this piece of theme park history led by one of the greatest comedic minds in the genre? While that might be wishful thinking, its reassuring to know that the Timekeeper hasn’t been lost to the ages.
Did you travel with Tomorrowland’s Timekeeper? Tell Inside the Magic about it in the comments below!